NewBoard gameOne or two players

Nim Rows

Rows of matches. Take what you like from one row. Mind the last one.

Your best
–
Nim Rows

Nim Rows

Rows of matches. Take what you like from one row. Mind the last one.

Press any key or tap

Something not working in Nim Rows?

How to play

  1. Tap a match to choose it and everything to its right in that row.
  2. Tap it again, or tap TAKE, to take them off the table.
  3. Matches must all come from one row, and at least one must go.
  4. Last Wins: take the final match to win. Last Loses: leave it for the other side.
  5. Beat the machine to face a bigger table; one lost game ends the run.

Controls

Keyboard

  • ↑ ↓ pick a row, ← more, → fewer
  • Space or Enter takes them
  • Z or H the trick guide
  • 1 easy, 2 hard, 3 two players, R the rule
  • P pause

Touch

  • Tap a match to choose it and the ones right of it, tap again to take
  • TAKE sits under the table, with the trick guide beside it
  • Tap the tabs along the top to change opponent or rule; tap twice to start over mid-game
  • Two players pass the phone between turns

Controller

  • D-pad or left stick to move
  • A / Cross for action, B / Circle for secondary
  • Start to pause

Tips for a better score

  • Split every row into fours, twos and ones, then count each size down the table. Leave every count even and the other player is lost.
  • Under Last Loses play exactly the same way until your move would leave nothing but single matches. Then leave an odd number of singles instead.
  • A won game pays 40 on Easy and 150 on Hard, plus ten a game, and half again under Last Loses. Winning with the guide showing pays half.
  • Hard only wins if you hand it the game: from the position you are dealt there is always a move that leaves it with nothing to do.

About Nim Rows

Nim Rows is the old take-away game, played with matches on dark felt. Three to five rows sit on the table, and on your turn you take one match or a dozen, as long as they all come from the same row. Under Last Wins the player who takes the final match wins; flip the rule chip to Last Loses and the final match is the one nobody wants. Play Easy, which mostly guesses, or Hard, which never slips: it works out the perfect move every turn and only a perfect answer beats it. Every game against the machine is dealt so that you, moving first, can win it, so a loss is always a move you gave away. Win and the run carries on with a bigger table; lose once and the run is over. Two people can pass one phone instead. After five lost games the trick unlocks: a guide beside the rows splits each row into fours, twos and ones and shows which counts are odd, which is the whole secret of the game.

A free nim matchstick game that runs in your browser. Category: Board games. Made for RetroWorld with original art and sound.

More games

New Neighbour PileClear seven columns onto one pile, one rank up or one rank down. Board New Knock TenTen cards each, melds against the machine, and the knock that ends it at ten or less. Board New Suit CallMatch the suit or the rank. Eights are wild, and you call what follows. Board Tic Tac ToeBeat the machine. It learns every round. Board
Support Us